10 Days of Minimalism

Clutter and excess items around your home and in your life can lead to more stress and anxiety. We are a society of hoarders. Not in the traditional sense that you think of a hoarder. But, we just gain stuff, more stuff and more stuff. We can’t help it. We have grown up wanting more and more as new items become available we want the newest item. Which is why Minimalism is completely on my radar. Especially as my home is now overrun with toddler books, toys and games! I’m feeling a strong urge to purge the house of stuff that I thought I needed but actually haven’t used or looked at in months or years.

However, the transition from cluttered home to minimal home is harder than you think when you are faced with getting rid of items you have loved and had for years. We build emotional attachments to things even though they have no emotional attachment for us. They provoke memories and then we keep the item. Forgetting that we still have the memory. A great idea is to get yourself a little memory book. Every time an item that no longer serves you provokes a memory, jot the memory down and maybe take a snap of the item to add to the book. Something you can then look back on later.

A great way to establish whether you should keep an item or not is to ask yourself whether you would purchase the item now? Then forgetting about the emotional attachment ask yourself if the item still brings you joy? If you don’t have a good reason to keep it then ditch it.

To help you along your way I have devised a 10 day list so that you only concentrate on one thing at a time!

Day 1: Books – Ones that you really are not going to look at or are no longer interested in. This also includes magazines and papers.

Day 2: DVD’s – with places like Netflix and Amazon Prime you really can free up lots of space. Just keep the ones you absolutely love. Don’t forget CD’s.

Day 3: Kitchen Cupboards – Pots and pans you never use, out of date tins and food (you’ll be surprised what lurking at the back of the cupboards)

Day 4: Toiletries – If you’re not going to use them then make some room and shift them. You may find family or friends who would love these items. Also check old make-up as these do go out of date! Don’t forget old medicine.

Day 5: Junk drawers – I think we are all guilty of having a drawer or several that we just chuck things in. Go through them and make some space.

Day 6: Old bedding and towels. They take up a surprising amount of room. Just keep what you need and maybe a spare for guests.

Day 7: The Loft – Do you really need half of that stuff that you don’t remember is up there?

Day 8: Electronics – Old cameras and phones, wires and chargers that you don’t know what they charge. Kitchen gadgets and generally anything that no longer works properly.

Day 9: Hobbies – Sports equipment no longer used, craft supplies no longer used. Hobby items can take up a lot of space.

Day 10: Clothes – I find this one the hardest so its best to leave this one until last as by now you are in real de-clutter mode and more likely to get rid of items you really don’t need or that don’t fit you. Don’t forget the underwear drawer and shoes!

It’s surprising how liberating and free you feel after a good de-clutter! Plus less tends to feel more calming and less stressful. I’m all about creating a meditative and calm space throughout.

Have a great 10 days.

——

Charlotte Fay is a Meditation Teacher, Freelance Writer and Poet from Kent, UK. You can find her on Instagram: @charlofay and her books are available from Amazon in paperback and ebook.